THE HAGUE:--- Last week, the Ocan Foundation Office received a visit from author Beverly Whitfield.
Whitfield is no stranger to the Ocan Foundation. In 2018, the proud Saban shared her story in the popular Ocan's Spotlight series. Her life story and motivation inspired many in the Netherlands and on the islands. At 13, she left the Windward Islands to pursue secondary education on Sint Maarten, and at 16, she continued her studies on Curaçao. From Curaçao, she moved with her family to the Netherlands. When Whitfield informed us that she was diligently working on her first book, "The Island Remembers," and it had recently been published, she was invited to The Hague to share more about her new work. Ocan director Lionel Martijn, MSUS was handed the signed copy on behalf of Ocan.
A Caribbean trilogy
The Island Remembers is a novel, a lyrical love story about memory, longing, and the courage to return. But it also reflects how life was on Saba decades ago. Many children of the soil had to leave the island for education and opportunity, and in doing so, they left behind homes, families, and sometimes first loves. While the story is fiction, it reflects truths that many in our communities recognize. And it also carries a message for women in midlife: that love, renewal, and the possibility of a second chance are still very real.
The second book will be published at the end of October 2025. The author wants to launch book three on her beloved birth island of Saba. This is symbolically scheduled for February 14, 2026, Valentine's Day. The author also has a couple of firsts to her name: she is the first Saban to publish a romance novel, and the first to publish internationally.
‘Later is now’
Whitfield worked in the financial world for many years, first on Curaçao and later in Amsterdam’s Zuidas business district. She is motivated to reinvent herself. She has become a personal coach for many women struggling with weight issues, and she is even a driving force behind a popular restaurant and catering business within her family. Also, she is working on the Midlife Body Wisdom Series, a collection of e-books that support women in menopause. At the Ocan Bureau, Whitfield aptly said, "Later is now." With this step, Whitfield wants to encourage other Caribbean women to do new things.
Part 1 of her trilogy is available for purchase on Amazon as a paperback or an e-book, and will later be published as a hardcover. Download a free chapter of the book: www.beverlywhitfield.com